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Standards are emerging for use of color in medical imagingJuly 31, 2015 -- For decades, the world of medical imaging has been visualized in shades of gray. But as color is becoming more common, challenges are emerging that mirror those solved years ago in grayscale imaging, namely regarding the use of standards to define the consistency of color images shown on different medical displays. Fortunately, help is on the way.

PET/CT tumor volume best predicts breast cancer survivalJuly 30, 2015 -- Whole-body metabolic tumor volume, as determined by FDG-PET/CT before treatment, is a reliable prognosticator of overall survival in patients who have invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast and distant metastases at the time of their initial diagnosis, according to a study published online July 23 in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Mobile App Spotlight: Diagnostic Imaging PathwaysJuly 30, 2015 -- AuntMinnie.com presents the next article in an ongoing series highlighting notable mobile apps in radiology. In this installment, we take a look at the Diagnostic Imaging Pathways (DIP) iOS app, which provides mobile access to the DIP online imaging decision-support and educational tool developed in Australia.

Sports-related head injuries spur avalanche of CT scansJuly 30, 2015 -- Emergency department admissions for sports-related head injuries have skyrocketed in recent years -- and so have unnecessary CT scans to evaluate them, according to a new report in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

DBT boosts mammo's specificity, lowers recall rateJuly 29, 2015 -- Adding digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) to conventional mammography boosted the specificity of breast screening and cut the recall of women with benign lesions by more than half, according to a new study published in Radiology. DBT plus mammography also showed sensitivity gains in some groups of women.

CMS forecasts 'modest' growth in healthcare spendingJuly 29, 2015 -- The U.S. will see a "modest" increase in healthcare spending through 2024, but the projected 5.8% annual rate of growth is much lower than the rapid pace seen prior to 2008, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Mammography screening at 40 works, Lancet study findsJuly 29, 2015 -- There is indeed a reduction in breast cancer mortality as a result of mammography screening in women who start getting exams at age 40 -- at least in the first 10 years of follow-up, according to a new study in Lancet Oncology that followed women for 17 years.

MRI links cardiac risk factors to cognition problemsJuly 28, 2015 -- MRI scans have demonstrated smaller regional brain volumes in people with certain cardiovascular risk factors, which could put them at risk for developing adverse cognitive issues, according to a study published online July 28 in Radiology.

New Mayo scoring system predicts CCU patient mortalityJuly 28, 2015 -- A predictive scoring system that combines both echocardiography and clinical data can reliably estimate three-year death rates in critical care unit (CCU) patients, according to research from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. The model is built on the fact that more heart patients are dying from noncardiovascular diseases.

Guerbet bids to buy Mallinckrodt's contrast businessJuly 27, 2015 -- French contrast agent developer Guerbet plans to acquire the contrast media and injector business of U.S. firm Mallinckrodt. The $270 million deal will double Guerbet's annual revenues, expand its product line, and instantly make the company a major player in the U.S. contrast market.